Rocker shaft orientation?

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DesertRat

DesertRat

Leading edge boomer
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My research has shown how the shafts are supposed to install, thank you knowledge database! My spidey-senses started tingling about my 273 hydraulic lifter startup and break-in. I pulled both rocker shafts to check for correct orientation. I know notch to the left hand and down and so forth. My question is I think the oiling holes were pointed inward to the manifold and I know they are supposed to point to the valve springs. If the shafts are notched wrong, to I point the oil holes to the valve springs and hang the notch orientation? Compression averages 150# with little variation. Yes, I read the section in the FSM, very ambiguous. Yes, the engine was pre-lubed and top end oiling was verified before startup. 50# oil pressure at idle and 70# at 2500 RPM. I have about 1.5-2 hours run time on the engine now and the distributor recurve and timing are all correct. Advice appreciated as always!--------------DR--------------:)
 
nevermind...i was mistaken
 
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notch down and to your left....oil holes should orientated towards the exhaust or down
 
I've seen the notch/hole orientation manufactured incorrectly on a few shafts, so be careful. As '70 aarcuda' says, the holes are to point down. As you are looking at the front of the engine the holes are to the outside of the hold-down bolts. So yeah, the holes more or less point towards the valve springs.
 
The only way I can make the small oil holes point to the exhaust/springs is if I put the notch down, notch to my right. Pass fore, drivers side aft. What should I do?
 
The rocker-arm oiling-holes on factory stock tubes should be on spring side of the pedestals;
But more importantly, the oil has to be able to enter the tubes from the passage coming up through the rocker-pedestal at the second from the left, end.This is imperative.Your FSM should show the oil supply hole on the valley side of the pedestal. The oil supply-hole from the head must line up with the special large oil receiving-hole in the Rocker-shaft.If you install the rocker-shaft differently, oil will not enter the tubes and the rockers will gall in no time. Certainly long before 1.5 hours.....
And the factory rocker-arm oiling holes, to my knowledge are off-set only a few degrees; Ima thinking something like 5*?
On a 273 with very low spring pressure, I'd be inclined to ignore the orientation of the little rocker-arm oil holes, so long as they are not oiling the valvecovers,lol.
 
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AJ/FormS said:
The oiling-holes have to be on spring side of the pedastals
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Thanks AJ-To be clear, we are not talking about the banana grooves but the additional small holes about 60 degrees off from them? Those are the holes that point to the springs.
DR----
 
DesertRat said:
The only way I can make the small oil holes point to the exhaust/springs is if I put the notch down, notch to my right. Pass fore, drivers side aft. What should I do?
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That's what I have had to do a few times, to get the oil holes pointing in the correct direction. Last time it was with shafts that came with some Comp Cams rocker arms. Never had any issues with proper oiling (that I know of!). Car is still running fine.
 
AJ/FormS said:
I know nothing about banana grooves. And the factory rocker-arm oiling holes, to my knowledge are off-set only a few degrees; Ima thinking something like 5*?
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The banana grooves include oil holes in the center that spread the oil out inside the rocker surface that rides on the shaft. There is another set of oil holes in addition to these that are the ones I believe have to point toward the springs. Unsure of actual offset but seems like more than 5*.
69_340_GTS said:
That's what I have had to do a few times, to get the oil holes pointing in the correct direction. Last time it was with shafts that came with some Comp Cams rocker arms. Never had any issues with proper oiling (that I know of!). Car is still running fine.
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Yes, keeping in mind that this is a 1967 273 probably manufactured in 1966. I am dealing with the shafts, rockers and adjusters the car was born with which means that it was assembled wrong at the factory and was incorrect for the 72,000 miles it ran before I bought it and tore it down. I guess I will swim upstream and do whatever it takes to point the oil holes outboard to the springs and cross my fingers! Thanks for all the help all-----Dr------
 
DR
let the existing wear-pattern be your guide.

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Oh dear; I am talking about the non-adjustable gear, with the stamped arms.
It has been a very long time since I looked at 273 rocker gear. However,the supply-hole orientation does not change. But perhaps the rocker arm oilers are in a different location for the enclosed wrap-around rockers. If those rockers redistribute the oil internally then the arm-oiler orientation would not matter.

Dr; sorry to confuse you.
 
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AJ/FormS said:
DR
let the existing wear-pattern be your guide.
Post #6 edited
Oh dear; I am talking about the non-adjustable gear, with the stamped arms.
It has been a very long time since I looked at 273 rocker gear. However,the supply-hole orientation does not change. But perhaps the rocker arm oilers are in a different location for the enclosed wrap-around rockers. If those rockers redistribute the oil internally then the arm-oiler orientation would not matter.
Dr; sorry to confuse you.
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Hmmmmmm---------------To quote John Lennon---------Very confusing this electric music business---------So what I am now hearing is that the two sets of oiling holes in the shafts of my 67 adjustable setup don't matter as long as the effin notch is down and firewall right and radiator left!!!!!!
I think I will leave the car alone for a while. It does have about 1.5 hours of run time with the top end oiling like an ejaculating sperm whale. Time to go tuna fishing-------F-it---------------:)
 
Maybe with those banana groves the "rules" don't apply! Never worked on an engine with those, and "good luck" finding a FSM that says anything about the grooves. I just looked in a How To Hot Rod A Small Block Mopar book, and all they talk about is the banana grooves pointing down. In a How To Rebuild A SBM book and all they talk about is the holes pointing down. I would be very tempted to put it back together the way it was. After all, it can't be too wrong.
 
69_340_GTS said:
Maybe with those banana groves the "rules" don't apply! Never worked on an engine with those, and "good luck" finding a FSM that says anything about the grooves. I just looked in a How To Hot Rod A Small Block Mopar book, and all they talk about is the banana grooves pointing down. In a How To Rebuild A SBM book and all they talk about is the holes pointing down. I would be very tempted to put it back together the way it was. After all, it can't be too wrong.
Click to expand...
LMFAO------------------:)
 
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